1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latches and locks for use on swinging doors of vehicles, industrial cabinets, electrical equipment enclosures and the like wherein there is a need for a closure to be held in its closed position by a plurality of latch bolts that are positioned in spaced relationship about the periphery of the closure, and that are operated concurrently by a remotely located, flush-mounted operating mechanism. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plural point latch or lock that has a flush-mountable operating mechanism for concurrently operating a plurality of remotely located latch bolts, with the operating mechanism having a pan-shaped housing that defines a recess that extends forwardly from a back wall of the housing, a paddle handle that is positioned forwardly with respect to the back wall and is mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between a nested position and an extended position, a slide that is positioned rearwardly with respect to the back wall and is track-mounted for sliding movement relative to the housing between first and second positions, a pair of operating arms that are positioned rearwardly with respect to the back wall and are pivotally connected to the housing for movement between latched and unlatched positions in response to movement of the side between its first and second positions, and a detent that is interposed between the housing and the slide for assisting to releasably retain the slide in its first and second positions, whereby the detent also serves to releasably retain the paddle handle in its nested and extended positions, and to releasably retain the arms in their latched and unlatched positions.
2. Prior Art
Plural point latch and lock systems of a variety of types have been proposed for use with a closure to releasably retain the closure in its closed position through the use of a plurality of latch bolts that are positioned at spaced locations about the periphery of the closure, with the latch bolts being operated concurrently by a remotely located operating mechanism that includes a movable handle. The referenced Multiple Slide Bolt Patent discloses one such system wherein a plurality of latch bolt assemblies are located at positions spaced about the perimeter of a door, and are operated concurrently by a centrally located device that is coupled by elongate rods to the latch bolt assemblies.
The referenced Multiple Bolt Patent discloses a plural-point locking system, including spring-projected latch bolt assemblies that have a capability to be "slammed" into engagement with suitably configured strikes--whereby it is possible to latch the latch bolt assemblies into engagement with associated strikes without having to operate a centrally located operating handle in order to retract the latch bolts. The locking system of the referenced Multiple Bolt Patent includes a paddle-type operating handle that is a pivotally mounted paddle-type handle that is movable between nested and extended positions with respect to a pan-type housing that defines a forwardly-fainting recess. Pivotal movement of the handle between its nested and extended positions causes a housing-mounted latch bolt to slide between first and second positions, and to concurrently move a pair of rods that are connected to the latch bolt assemblies, whereby all of the latch bolts of the locking system are operated concurrently as the result of pivoting the handle from its nested to its extended position.
Detent devices of a variety of types have been proposed for use with relatively movable latch and lock components to facilitate releasably retaining relatively movable latch and lock components in predetermined relative positions. In this regard, the referenced Detent Patent discloses a variety of ways in which a spring-clip mounted detent member can be positioned in a hole that is formed in one of two relatively movable components to assist in providing a "detent" action that will releasably retain the two relatively movable components in a predetermined position when the detent engages a detent receiving formation that is provided on the other of the components. The referenced Detent Patent provides a variety of examples of ways in which the described detent system can be utilized in conjunction with latch and lock components, including an example wherein the detent is used with a pair of opposed, projectable-retractable rod-like deadbolt members that are concurrently operated by rotating a handle that can be folded so as to nest in a housing recess.
The referenced Paddle Lock With Detent Patent relates to a flush-mountable latch or lock having a spring-projected slide bolt that is operated by a paddle-type handle. The handle is pivotally mounted for movement between a nested position within a forwardly facing recess that is defined by a pan-type housing, and an extended position. A spring-projected detent element in the form of a hardened steel ball is carried in a transversely extending passage that is formed in the slide bolt, and is engageable with a pair of spaced detent receiving formations that are defined in a wall of a stamping that is mounted on a back wall of the housing. However, the invention of this patent does not provide a plural-point latch or lock; nor does it provide a mechanism for operating a remotely located latch bolt.
Another prior proposal--which has been embodied in a commercially available product--provides a plural point latch or lock having a flush-mountable operating mechanism for remotely operating a plurality of latch bolts. The operating mechanism has a housing that defines a recess that extends forwardly from a back wall of the housing, a paddle handle that is positioned forwardly with respect to the back wall and is mounted on the housing for pivotal movement between a nested position and an extended position, a slide that is positioned rearwardly with respect to the back wall and is carried within a slide channel for movement relative to the housing between first and second positions, and a pair of operating arms that are positioned rearwardly with respect to the back wall and are pivotally connected to the housing for movement between latched and unlatched positions in response to movement of the side between its first and second positions. The product that embodies this proposal is sold by the Eberhard Manufacturing Company division of The Eastern Company, Cleveland, Ohio 44136, under the product designations 4972 and 4974. However, this product does not provide a detent for releasably retaining the slide in its first and second positions, or for releasably retaining the paddle handle in its nested and extended positions, or for releasably retaining the pivotal arms in their latched and unlatched positions.
The referenced Grooved Slide Bolt Patent discloses the use of a slide member, namely a spring projected slide bolt, that has grooves in opposed side portions thereof that receive in mating engagement therewith a pair of opposed housing formations, by which arrangement with slide bolt is mounted for linear, sliding movement relative to the housing. The referenced Design Patent is cited herewith inasmuch as it is a "companion case" to the referenced Grooved Slide Bolt Patent and discloses features of the handle and housing that are used in the preferred practice of the invention of the referenced Grooved Slide Bolt Patent.